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December 14, 2009

Joplin, C.J. students lead area food drives

By Emily Younker

eyounker@joplinglobe.com

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — As the temperature dipped below freezing Monday, hundreds of students — bundled snugly in winter coats — marched down Pennell Street carrying canned and boxed food items.

A group of third-grade girls, bringing up the rear, agreed that the mini field trip was cold but fun.

The second- and third-grade building in Carl Junction wrapped up its food drive Monday, with all items going to the Carl Junction Fire Protection District’s food basket program. Students braved the cold to hand-deliver items to the fire station.

About that time, their counterparts at Irving Elementary School in Joplin were being recognized for their efforts in the Salvation Army’s “Gobble ’til You Wobble” food drive. About 250 students donated 5,472 food items in two weeks, Principal Debbie Fort said.

Fort said Irving has sponsored food drives for at least the past 11 years. Each year, students and teachers try to donate more food items than were donated previously, she said.

“You think there’s no way we can top what we’ve done in the past, but the students are amazing and will always surprise you,” Fort said. “It’s a very generous building. If you just put a need out there, they’ve always stepped up and just met that need.”

Susan Knapps, an early literacy teacher at Irving, said 43 children in two first-grade classes donated a majority of the items. Their reward will be a class pizza party.

Carl Junction second- and third-graders brought in nearly 1,000 food items for their drive, said Greg Thompson, a teacher who sits on the school’s project committee.

“We thought it could show the kids that sometimes giving is better than receiving,” he said.

Third-grader Colton Kennedy, 9, brought canned corn and beans for the food drive.

“I’m happy (to help) because the less fortunate usually don’t get a lot, and we get a lot more than them,” he said.

Principal Carolyn Porter said the response from students was “wonderful.”

“When we all work together, we can accomplish amazing things,” she said. “And it is amazing that we can have 1,000 items donated to families in our community.”

Porter said the school for years has done community-oriented projects during the holidays. Previously, students have bought bricks for the Ronald McDonald House and have given money to the Salvation Army.

The school conducted its own food drive for the first time last year. New this year was the five-block trip to the fire station so the students could hand-deliver the items they donated.

“We thought it would be kind of neat to let everyone carry something down to increase participation,” Thompson said. “Maybe it would mean a little bit more to the kids if they got to take it down themselves.”

As the last of the students arrived at the fire station — and expressed their appreciation to be out of the bitter wind — the pile of canned goods on the floor grew.

Porter breathed a sigh of relief.

“We made it,” she said as she left the firehouse to supervise the trek back to school.

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